Retail crime always has a huge impact on retailers but what bothers them the most is the often indifferent police follow-up. Many retailers are on record as being not satisfied with the police response.
According to the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) Retail Crime Report 2021, 60 per cent of retailers rated the category “police response positively” as poor or very poor with only 40 per cent giving it a good or fair mark.
Most of the independent stores in the UK face so-called “low-level” crimes such as theft and verbal abuse, which are not even reported to police on regular basis. The BRC report in fact found that only 54 per cent of crimes of violence and abuse are reported by retailers, meaning that the official rates are almost double in reality.
To tackle the low-level retail crime faced by independent retailers, and to help the government by providing accurate statistic on the retail crime for more stringent law, it is important that retailers report every sort of crime committed in their stores.
“Theft by customers is the biggest single source of loss at nearly £1 billion and accounts for over 95 per cent of the incidents, yet it is often perceived as a matter for retailers themselves to deal with rather than the police, not least where the theft is of low value and not seen as related to wider issues of gangs or addiction, as is often the case,” the BRC report on retail crime 2021 says.
It additionally reveals that violence and abuse against staff is seen as the number one issue for retailers by far – with only six per cent of cases leading to prosecution, the perception of the police response is likely to be low. At the same time, it is exactly these sorts of incident that are viewed as a local policing responsibility and shape public and retail perceptions of the police.
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In this edition of the retail crime section, Asian Trader spoke to industry trade bodies such as the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) and The Federation of Independent Retailers (NFRN) to understand their views on police response to retail crime; their roles in tackling retail crime; and what measures they suggest to their members in protecting their business, and employees from retail crime.
The NFRN National President Narinder Randhawa told Asian Trader, “The level of police response has seriously undermined retailers’ confidence in the system. The NFRN has raised this with the Home Office, and as a result it has now recognised the issue of a lack of confidence in the police and under-reporting of offences. However, the NFRN encourages members to report all crimes committed in their stores. This will show the police the true extent of these crimes in their force area and highlight the need for a more robust response.”
ACS chief executive James Lowman commented, “Retailers are often rightly unsatisfied with the level and consistency of the police response when it comes to so called ‘low-level’ crimes like theft and verbal abuse. For more serious crimes, the police usually respond quickly and follow up appropriately; but there are times when they don’t, and our conversations with the police are about prioritising crime so that violence is always met with a police response.
It is becoming more widely understood that the best way to ensure more funds are allocated to fighting retail crime is to report them exhaustively. Retailers’ reports are collated officially and provide the statistical basis for budget decisions – so the more crimes, the more police resources devoted to tackling them. By under-reporting, the retail sector is only harming itself.
“While it can be frustrating, we urge retailers to ensure that they report every crime that takes place in their business, online for thefts where the offender has left the premises, and by ringing 999 where there is violence, and the incident is ongoing,” added Lowman. “We will continue to push Police and Crime Commissioners to prioritise retail crime in their local plans, as well as highlighting the issue of police response at a national level to Government and the National Business Crime Centre.”
In its report, even BRC stressed that all retail crime should be reported if a response is to be given and statistics are to be recorded accurately. It said, “If only 54 per cent of violent and abusive incidents are reported, it is likely that even fewer theft-related incidents are reported especially where the perpetrator is not pursued for lack of clear evidence. To this end reporting procedures should be simplified with a single online reporting tool for all forces.”
The updating and modernising of reporting and collating of crimes has been underway across the UK’s forty-three police forces for several years now, with a view to eliminating differing methods that exclude or overlap and therefore allow crimes to go unnoticed at government level.
But the government should also make crystal clear its guidelines for enforcement.
“Forces should be clear that there is no policy to ignore thefts under £200 and this should be widely communicated to the public,” says the BRC. “In the absence of clear evidence that this is the case, there will be clear incentives for criminals to continue to work the system and perceptions of the police response will remain negative.
“The police must recognise the potential for retail crime to be used by criminal gangs and by addicts to support their habit – but only an effective response will ensure the pieces of the jigsaw are brought together both in terms of a specific set of crimes and overall.”
The BRC also promotes exchanges on best practice at a local level between police and retailers through helping to promote the exchange of successful practices nationwide.
Security issues
Tackling retail crime is one of NFRN’s top priorities and its political engagement team regularly engages with MPs and peers of all parties to raise awareness and push for a change in the law to protect independent retailers and their staff.
Randhawa said, “Our political engagement team has also held meetings with police and crime commissioners (PCCs) across England and Wales to urge them to include tackling retail crime as a priority in their five-year crime plans - and NFRN members now sit on local PCC business crime groups.”
The NFRN is the secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on retail crime and is currently lobbying members of the House of Lords to amend the Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill to make verbally or physically attacking retailers and their staff in their place of work a specific offence.
The association believes that for most independent retailers, the cost of updating their CCTV and other security systems effectively puts them out of reach. It has therefore called on the government to introduce financial support to help retailers cover the costs of upgrading their security systems, so that they can sufficiently capture evidence of any violations of the law in their stores and can provide maximum protection for their staff and customers alike. As the current security systems of small retailers are not always sufficient to capture occurrences or the extent of crime in their stores, the shop owners, workers, and customers are being left vulnerable and unsafe.
ACS is also working closely with the government to highlight the importance of tackling retail crime, providing data and case studies through its annual Crime Report, working with other business groups on the National Retail Crime Steering Group, and constantly meeting with and feeding in information to the Home Office about the crime that retailers face.
“We have also supported changing the law to make attacking retail workers a more serious offence. Crime is one of the first issues we raise when we talk to MPs in parliament and in convenience stores across the country,” said Lowman. “ACS has also organised the nationwide ShopKind campaign to provide a friendly reminder to customers that the people working in shops deserve to be treated with respect. Another key ACS project is working with Crimestoppers to offer rewards for the most serious incidents, if the investigating police force support this, and through this approach we have raised the profile of incidents to help bring offenders to justice,” he concluded.
The message is clear: every crime needs reporting for more crimes to have a chance of being solved.
The BRC suggests a good police response to tackling and responding to retail crime is vital:
It encourages reporting by retailers which is currently as low as 54% in the case of crimes of violence and abuse.
• It provides the opportunity for victim support statements when crimes of violence or abuse are prosecuted.
• It is the most effective deterrent.
• It facilitates a more accurate collection of statistics and data by the police themselves.
• It enables police forces to prioritise their activities and resources more in line with the actual needs of communities based on their own understanding of crimes in any given area or community.
The NFRN’s recommendations to the government’s Home Affairs Select Committee, asking for more support from the police include:
That the £200 threshold for ‘low value’ shop theft be repealed.
That police forces be required to record retail crime as a separate category within their crime statistics.
For it to become mandatory for the police to offer the opportunity to those affected to submit to the courts a business or victim impact statement.
ACS has detailed guidance for retailers on how to deter criminals and avoid confrontation in stores:
Even the simplest things like acknowledging customers as they walk through the door can be an effective way of letting people know that they’re being monitored.
The vast majority of stores have CCTV (over 90%), but it’s important that retailers work with police to ensure that when a crime does take place, the footage they have is able to be used as evidence.
Ultimately, the advice that we give to retailers and colleagues in stores is that people are more important than property. It’s not worth putting yourself in harms’ way to intervene in something like a theft that could easily escalate to a more serious incident.
Scottish business conglomerate Glenshire Group has hired Daniel Arrandale as its new Property Director.
Starting in the newly created role last week, Arrandale brings a wealth of industry experience to the business, including his most recent position as Acquisitions Manager for Asda and his previous position as Development Manager at EG Group.
“I am thrilled to be joining Glenshire Group in a period of tremendous growth, with many exciting opportunities on the horizon,” said Arrandale. “I’m looking forward to working with the existing development team to maximise the opportunities within our current estate, whilst also growing the business further with the acquisition of new sites.”
As part of Arrandale’s remit, he will oversee acquisitions, development, and growth for Greens Retail, Pizza Hut, and wider Glenshire Group property development and investment interests.
The bulk of Arrandale’s career has been as Retail Director at commercial agents Christie & Co, focussing on the convenience, forecourt and franchise markets. Arrandale served at Christie & Co. for 23 years.
Harris Aslam, Managing Director at Glenshire Group added: “We are very excited to welcome Dan into the Glenshire family. Having worked with Dan many times over the years on several transactions, I can confidently say his breadth of knowledge and experience in this sector will give us a huge advantage as we continue to expand our portfolio.”
Currently operating 27 convenience stores and 20 Pizza Hut franchises in Scotland, Glenshire Group has committed to significantly furthering new location openings in Scotland as well as bolstering their property portfolio.
Brewer Carlsberg is shifting some of its marketing focus to cheaper brands, it said on Thursday (31), as consumers in major markets bought cheaper beer and in reduced quantities.
The maker of Kronenbourg 1664, Tuborg and Somersby said beer sales volumes fell by 1.3 per cent in the third quarter, noting declines in China, France and the United Kingdom. Premium sales fell 0.5 per cent in the quarter."In Western Europe, there's no doubt that the average consumer is holding back," CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen told Reuters.
"In Asia, China stands out as a market where the consumer is very weak. Most other Asian markets are actually okay," he said, adding the company had not yet seen Chinese stimulus measures having any impact on consumer behaviour.For years, brewers have relied on a strategy of developing and promoting their more expensive premium brands to offset an overall decline in drinking.
Aarup-Andersen said he remained confident in the long-term growth potential of premium beer and that the category will comprise a significantly larger portion of Carlsberg's business in a decade.For now, however, the company is adjusting its marketing.
"In markets where we are seeing a significant pressure on premium, we are reallocating some of our focus into making sure that we are promoting properly around the right mainstream brands," he said.
The world's third-largest brewer behind Anheuser-Busch Inbev and Heineken said third-quarter sales rose 1 per cent to 20.5 billion Danish crowns ($2.98 billion), compared with 20.7 billion expected on average by analysts in a poll gathered by the company.
Despite the shift in consumer behaviour, Carlsberg said it still expects full-year organic operating profit growth to be between 4 per cent and 6 per cent. The company lifted its full-year guidance in August.
Also on Thursday (31), the world's largest beer maker Anheuser-Busch InBev reported third-quarter profits, revenues and volumes behind forecasts. AB InBev's third-quarter statement highlighted stronger growth for its more expensive beers, like Corona, which grew 10.2% outside of its home market, Mexico, during the period.
Consumers now want a greater commitment from retailers in cutting food waste, refilling stations, sustainable packaging, and partnering with social purpose organisations, states a recent research, which also highlights that a good majority (69 per cent) of younger consumers are more likely to shop with what they see as socially responsible retailers though price sensitivity still plays a crucial role.
According to the findings, published in Vypr’s Consumer Horizon Report, reducing food waste is the most important factor for the majority of UK consumers (29 per cent), especially for Gen Z women aged 18-24 (38 per cent). More than a third (37 per cent) of men aged 18-24 said they needed food storage advice. A similar number of women aged 18-24 (33 per cent) want meal kits with the exact amount of ingredients included for them to cut down on food waste.
Refill stations for personal care, cleaning products, dry goods, and beverages are also in high demand. Consumers, particularly Gen Z women, are keen to use these stations, provided they offer a cost-saving of 6-10 per cent compared to packaged goods. The study indicates that older shoppers are less likely to use refill stations unless prices are reduced by 15 per cent or more, which Vypr said shows the importance of price in driving consumers to adopt sustainable shopping habits.
The third priority for brands and retailers is to adopt sustainable packaging. Awareness of eco-friendly packaging is high, especially among younger generations. Two-thirds of UK consumers say they expect to pay more for sustainably packaged products, and that figure rises to 86 per cent among Gen Z and Millennials. However, Vypr’s research suggests that while shoppers express willingness to pay more, price sensitivity still plays a crucial role.
Ben Davis, founder of Vypr, said: “There’s often a disconnect between consumer intentions and actions. Brands need to understand that simply offering sustainable options may not be enough if price points don’t match consumer expectations.
“For Gen Z and Millennials, sustainable products need to be competitively priced or risk losing long-term loyalty. We tested this by presenting products with and without the label ‘100 per cent Recycled Packaging’ and found price remained the key purchase decision-making factor for most consumers.”
Another factor in building loyalty among younger consumers is to showcase social responsibility. The research reveals that 60% of shoppers are more likely to shop at retailers that partner with food rescue organisations or promote a charitable cause. Among Gen Z and Millennials, this figure jumps to 69%, showing a strong preference for brands that demonstrate a social purpose.
The report also reveals that 85% of shoppers are willing to pay a deposit for reusable products, though it is younger consumers, particularly those aged 18-24 who express the strongest support for such initiatives.
The Consumer Horizon report which provides insights shaping retail, product innovation, and consumer behaviour going into 2025, can be seen here.
Sugro UK, the number one buying and marketing buying group*, in partnership with b2b.store, is thrilled to announce a further expansion of its existing E-Loyalty scheme programme, which has proven to be very popular with its members and retailers, by introducing E-Loyalty Extra Compliance and Execution scheme as well as E-Coupons.
The E-Loyalty Extra is aimed to boost compliance and execution at retail store level to drive new product launches, core range compliance, some exciting fixture trials with its supply partners and more! It will be available to all member owned and member affiliated retail stores within the group.
The E-Loyalty Extra loyalty scheme will be accessible by retailers via WhatsApp platform and will allow retailers to capture evidence of compliance by simply clicking “take photo” button.
With the addition of another digital enhancement introduced to the group recently – Coupon - based loyalty mechanic, members are now empowered to incentivise and reward customers, driving stronger consumer connections and fostering brand loyalty at a granular level. Retailers can now simply redeem a coupon at the point of check out. Another key digital development within the group is WhatsApp E-Presell which enables Sugro UK’s retail partners to provide advance product volume commitments for new product launches. This functionality is particularly powerful as it ensures that suppliers have accurate forecasts before product launches, enabling better stock availability from day one of product being available on the market.
The ease and speed of using WhatsApp for these commitments simplifies the presell process, ensures accuracy and strengthens relationships across the supply chain.
While other industry players may soon consider introducing similar digital tools, Sugro UK are proud to be at the forefront of enhancing retail-focused digital solutions. This early adoption not only ensures that Sugro UK members remain competitive but also guarantees them access to the best digital tools available in the market. These efforts are part of Sugro UK's ongoing commitment to delivering value to its members and empowering them with innovative solutions for growth and success in an increasingly digital retail environment.
Sugro Head of Commercial and Marketing, Yulia Petitt said: “I am delighted that Sugro UK members are now able to provide photographic evidence of retail compliance and in-store execution to our supplier partners, using a wide range of display and compliance criteria such as planograms, secondary displays, trials, and new product developments (NPDs).These digital features allow members to share real-time proof of execution, enhancing accountability and building supplier confidence. The launch of E-Presell functionality opens a huge digital advantage for the group which will benefit all – members, retailers and suppliers in gaining accurate forecast and ensuring product visibility in store from day one of product being on the market and with the ease of using WhatsApp, the entire pre-sell process becomes a much quicker and easier process to manage for all parties.
"The Group has had 18 consecutive years of growth and, once again, on track to deliver in 2024, with the year-to-date performance of +15% year on year and growth across all categories.” Rob Mannion, CEO of b2b.store, added: “The rate of innovation in the wholesale sector is increasing and these launches are further great examples of that. We’re particularly excited about the developments and different uses of WhatsApp in the industry, with more coming in the pipeline for 2025 – it’s a tool no wholesaler or buying group can afford to ignore because of the level of influence it’s having in the sector and there’s no sign of that direction of travel changing any time soon.”
Sugro UK is proudly owned by its 90 plus independent wholesale members, with a combined turnover of over £2.5 billion.
Expanding its footprint in the World Foods category, Paulig has acquired Panesar Foods, a prominent UK-based producer of sauces and condiments.
Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Tipton, Panesar Foods is a family-owned business with three production facilities, employing 308 staff and achieving a turnover of £59 million in the 2023 fiscal year.
This collaboration is expected to accelerate product launches and drive growth in diverse offerings, including sauces, salsas, marinades, dips, and condiments.
"We have collaborated with Panesar Foods for 17 years, and we are very pleased to welcome the company to Paulig," said Rolf Ladau, CEO of Paulig. "Today, our combined taste expertise and innovation skills unite around a shared ambition: to accelerate our international growth and expand our World Foods offerings."
Bill Panesar, CEO of Panesar Foods, expressed confidence in the partnership, stating, “As Panesar Foods becomes part of Paulig, I am confident that our ambitions for international growth will be realised, and the business will continue to thrive. We share a strong commitment to innovation and delivering high-quality, flavourful products, and I look forward to bringing even more delicious products to the market, together."
Jas Panesar, MD of Panesar Foods, echoed, “This partnership will allow us to reach new markets and deliver our authentic World Food flavors to a broader audience. We look forward to combining our passion for quality food with Paulig’s commitment to sustainability and innovation.”
All 308 Panesar employees will transition to Paulig’s team. Financial details of the transaction remain undisclosed.